Low temperature cabinet



K. A. WEBER LQW TEMPERATURE CABINET March 17, 1942. 2,276,635

Filed 'Jan. 15, 1 949 2 Sheets-Sheetl umuml ummm March 17, 1942. W BER LOW TEMPERATURE CABINET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1940 Patented Mar. 17, 1942 y UNITED STATES PATENT o-FFiCE Low TEMPERATURE cannm'r Karl A. Weber, Los Angeles, Calif. Application January 15, 1940, Serial No. 313,909

6 Claims. (Cl. 220-41) This invention relates to low temperature cabinets, and more particularly to the construction of a low temperature cabinet wherein access to the cabinet is through sliding doors mounted at the upper face of the cabinet to slide or roll upon metal tracks insulated by breaker strips to reduce the heat transfer into the cabinet. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a low temperature cabinet having insulated walls of stepped construction at their upper edges to receive sliding doors controlling access to the interior of the cabinet and wherein the steps as formed provide trackways for the doors insulated one from the other.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereot as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings; 1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a low temperature cabinet embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmental sectional side elevation of the structure as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional upper edge elevation of one of.the cabinet walls.

Figure 4 is a iragmental sectional elevation illustrating the structure of the sliding doors and showing the same on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a sectional edge elevation of a modified form of wall structure embodying my invention. 4 v

Figure 6 is a fragmental perspective view of a further modified form of structure embodying my invention.

Figure 7 is a fragmental sectional view of a cabinet wall construction illustrating another embodiment of my invention and showing one of the doors in elevation as associated therewith.

Figure 8 is a fragmental sectional edge elevation of the structure as illustrated in Figure 7 and taken on the line 8-8 of Figure '7.

In the modification of my invention as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the cabinet i is of rectangular cross-section and includes a pluover the other and are positioned .to slide upon tracks l0 and II formed at the upper edges of the mounted within the interior of the cabinet adjacent the grill 1 through which air passes.

At its upper section the cabinet i is open and 7 access to the interior of the cabinet is had through the medium of sliding doors 8 and 8. As herein illustrated, these doors 8 and 9 slide one side walls 2. v

The construction of the upper edges of the walls 2 and 3 are substantially the same so that a description of one of the said sections will sutflce for each. As constructed, these walls at their upper edges are of stepped formation and the upper section l2 of metal forming the outer wall of the cabinet i is lapped'over as indicated at 13 into the first step. The tracks i0 and ii are preferably metal strips laid upon the steps i4 and I5 and bent to provide vertical flanges l8 and I1 and the crimping edge I! and a vertical holdin flange i9, respectively. The tracks i0 and II extend around the entire walls over the'steps i4 and i5 and are insulated one from the other by means of breaker strips 20 and 2!. The breaker strips 20 and 2| may be of rubber or of a suitable composition material such as that commonly known as Masonite," or the like, which mateber i2 is bent into the upper breaker strip 20 as indicated at 22 and thus serves to retain the breaker strip 20 in position. The track ll also.

aids because of its vertical flange IS in the retention of the breaker strip 20 by enga in the same from its rear surfaceopposlte to that en- I gaged by the lapped section I! of the upperwall rality of vertical side walls 2 and end walls 3,

each of which is of-insulating construction, ir'imember l2. In a similar manner the lapped section I8 of the track ills engaged in the breaker strip 2|, and the vertical flange ll of the lower track I! aids in the retention ofthebreaker strip 2| in position.

Inter-posed between the track l5 and the inner metallic wall sheet 5 of the cabinet I is a breaker strip 24. This breaker strip may be of any suitable material of a low coeilicient of heat transfer.

and l I by means of raised slide detents 2! formed I in the bottom metallic wall'members 21. Of course if desired rollers may be provided upon which the doors may roll. alongt'he tracks l and II.

The doors are composed of the lower metallic wailll and the upper metallic wall section 28 between which there is positioned the suitable insulating material .2! which may be of cork or other suitable insulating material.

* Atthe adjoining edges of'the walls there may be provided suitable blocks of rubber as' indicated at 30, to the lower of which a wiper strip II is secured to engage the bottomsurface of the upper door 8. .Thus transfer of air between the two doors is prevented at their point-of overlap. This wiper strip also acts to prevent transfer of air with the consequent condensation of moisture.

In the modified forms of my invention as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, similar parts are indicated with similar numerals with the addi-- tion of an exponent "a" thereto. In these modifications of my invention, the principal difference resides in the construction of the stepped breaker strip construction providing the tracks for the, doors. The breaker strip structure in this modification is asingle cast or molded rubber strip molded to provide the tracks l0 and H upon which the doors slide.- These modifications differ only in the lower sections of the breaker ,strips. In the structure of Figure ,5 the lower ,{Zjsection 32 of the molded breaker strip is pro- ;if'vided with rack-retaining apertures ar which 'gare formed in rack-holding plugs 34* embedded ,Iin the lower section 32-. In this modification {also the wiper strip 3| is molded into the end {section 30-; In Figure 6 the rack retaining aper fares 50" are molded in the lower section 32 of the breaker strip.

the modification of-- my invention as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, similar parts are indicated by similar numerals with the addition of arigexponent b thereto.

This modification of my invention diflers from that heretofore described principally in that the.

-wiper strip 3| is a continuous strip extending around the entire periphery of each door and is turned downwardly as indicated at 35" to engage Q a shoulder 38'' formed in the upper section of il are firmly contacted upon the shoulders 33'' and 31 Having fully described my, invention, it is to be understood that I do not wishto be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention.

is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1 i 1. A low temperature food cabinet having vertically extending walls, each of said walls bein of heat insulating material and being formed at their upper end to provide vertically spaced steps,

metal strips on said steps and forming tracks, overlapping doors positioned on said tracks, and breaker strips interposed, between said metal tracks and insulating one from the other.

2. A low temperature cabinet having vertically extending walls, sliding doors for closing the cabinet at its top and adapted to slide on stepped tracks formed in said walls, metallic traction surfaces for said tracks and breaker strips mounted near the upper ends of said walls between saidmetallic traction surfaces to insulate one from the other.

3. A low temperature cabinet having vertically extending walls, each of which walls is formed of inner and outer covering of heat conducting material between which insulating material is positioned and the said walls being stepped at their upper. ends to provide vertically spaced steps, metal strips on said steps and forming vertically spaced tracks, the riser walls of said tracks being formed at least in part of breaker material of relatively low heat conductivity and sliding doors mounted upon said vertically spaced tracks to permit access to within the cabinet from the top thereof.

4. A low temperature cabinet having vertically extending walls, sliding doors for closing the cabthe breaker strip 2|. The shoulder 36! extends,

entirely around the interior ofthe breaker strip 20''. The breaker strip 20 is described particularly with reference to the upper track I l However, a similar shoulder 31 is provided adjacent the lower track l0 for a similar purpose.

In this construction it will be noted also that the inner wall 5 is bent upon itself as indicated at 38 to fit within a groove formed in the lower extremity-of the breaker strip 20" and that the extreme end of the metallic wall section 5 extends into the insulation material 6' to aid in retaining the parts in their assembled positions.

In this modification of my invention, the doors 8 are supported upon rollers 26*. In order to insure a tight closure betweenfthe covers 8' and the cabinet walls, the tracks "l and H are provided with depressions on into which the said rollers pass when in' closed position, thereby lowering the said covers so that the breaker strips met at its top and adapted toslide on tracks formed in said walls, metallic traction surfaces for said tracks, breaker strips mounted between said metallic traction surfaces and insulating one from the other, and wiper means interposed between said doors and eonstantlysealing the space between the doors, when the doors are moved relatively to one another. i

5. A low temperature cabinet having vertically extending-walls, a sliding door for closing the cabinet at its top and adapted'to slide on tracks formed insaid walls,'metallic traction surfaces for said-tracks. breaker strips mounted between said metallic traction surfaces and insulating onefrom the other, and wiper means extending around the sides and ends of said doors and, adapted to seal against the walls of said cabinet.

6. A low temperature cabinet having vertically extending side walls, said side walls being of heat insulating material and; formed at their upper end with vertically spaced steps, metal strips on said steps and-forming tracks, breaker strips interposed between said metal tracks and insulat ing one from the other,.-overlapping doors positioned substantially horizontally on said tracks and rollers -supporting said-doors on said tracks,

"said r ollersl avingfan axis'of rotation substan tially parallel "to the plane ofthe door supported thereby.

- KARL. A. WEBER. 

